RURAL DEPLETION 31 



population in 84 per cent of the census districts; in 

 Nova Scotia of 95 per cent. ; in Ontario, exclusive of 

 the immigration areas in newly opened territory in 

 Algoma, Muskoka and Nipissiug, of 98 per cent., and 

 in Prince Edward Island of 100 per cent. Let us pre- 

 sent a few outstanding examples of retrogi-ession cover- 

 ing longer periods, such as Durham East, with a total 

 population, including the town of Port Hope, of 19,064 

 in 1871, of 18,710 in 1881, of 17,053 in 1891, of 

 14,464 in 1901, and of 14,301 in 1911 ; Durham West, 

 including such a town as Bowmanville, with a total 

 population for those decades respectively of 18,316, 

 17,555, 15,374, 13,106, and 12,112; of Frontenac, as 

 formerly constituted — in all these comparative state- 

 ments we are careful to include strictly the same terri- 

 tory—with 16,310, 14,993, 13,445, 12,008, and 11,044 ; 

 or Lanark Xorth, though such a town as Almonte is 

 included, with 19,899, 19,855, 19,260, 18,180, and 

 15,456; or Lennox, 16,396, 16,314, 14,900, 13,421, and 

 12,023; Northumberland West, 17,328, 16,948, 14,947, 

 13,055, and 12,965; or finally, Perth South, with 

 22,715, 21,608, 19,400, 17,861, and 16,038. Did con- 

 siderations of space not forbid we should wish to add 

 detailed examples of retrogression in the case of town- 

 ships covering the same period, inasmuch as the per- 

 centage of loss would be much more striking; for ex- 

 ample, the township of Chinguacousy in the county of 

 Peel has this record — we go back ten years further — 

 in 1861, 6,897; 1871, 6,129; 1881, 5,467; 1891, 4,794; 

 1901, 4,177; and 1911, 3,913; a loss of 46 per cent, in 

 fifty years. An impressive array of similar histories 

 might be given. We close with one additional presenta- 

 tion of these momentous facts. The rural population 



